Salt Lake man rescued from Utah's Mount Olympus

By Kimball Bennion The Salt Lake Tribune

Published: November 3, 2012 10:58 pm
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A 19-year-old Salt Lake man was found on Mount Olympus Saturday night after being stranded on a ledge there since Wednesday.

Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said a hiker reported hearing the man calling for help just off one of the rugged peak's trails at about 5:30 p.m. With the help of a helicopter from the Department of Public Safety, officials were able to reach the man shortly after 9 p.m. The man was carried out by helicopter and is being treated at a hospital for hypothermia and dehydration. Hoyal said the man survived by eating leaves and drinking his own urine.

Hoyal said the man, whose name was not released Saturday, went on a hike by himself on Wednesday. Wearing only a sports jersey, a baseball cap and basketball shorts, the hiker was "ill-prepared" for a prolonged stay on the peak, Hoyal said.

On the way down, the man got lost and ended up in the Hughes Canyon area, where he got stuck on a ledge.

Hoyal said Unified Police did not receive any missing person reports related to the man.

kbennion@sltrib.com

Twitter: @KimballBennion

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